NH NH - Rachael Garden, 15, Newton, 22 March 1980

[Rle7]

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: March 22, 1980 from Newton, New Hampshire
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: December 30, 1964
Age: 15 years old
Height and Weight: 5'1, 100 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Light brown hair, hazel eyes. Garden's ears are pierced. She wore a dental retainer, but left it behind when she disappeared. Some agencies may spell her first name "Rachel."
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A two-tone blue ski parka, jeans, a plaid shirt with silver threads and brown lace-up shoes.
​

Details of Disappearance

Garden purchased a pack of cigarettes and chewing gum at Rowe's Corner Market on Route 108 in Newton, New Hampshire on March 22, 1980. She paid with a $5 bill, received her change and departed from the store between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. and began walking to a friend's house in the 50 block of north Main Street where she planned to spend the night. Garden never arrived as scheduled and has not been heard from again. She was carrying a dark blue tote bag with the word "Things" imprinted on one side at the time of her disappearance. Her parents reported her as a missing person at 10:00 a.m. the day after she was last seen.
An extensive search of the area produced no clues as to Garden's whereabouts. She left all of her belongings behind at her family's residence, including her dental retainer. Garden owned a horse and her family members said it was uncharacteristic of her to leave the animal unattended.
On the night of her disappearance, Garden was seen talking to three male acquaintances in a dark-colored car near Rowe's Market. The men all had troubled reputations and were involved in criminal activity; one of them later served a prison term for assault and rape. After Garden's disappearance, one of the men allegedly confessed to killing her. The reported confession caused police to dig up a site off Route 108 to look for Garden's remains, but no evidence was located. It is unknown whether any of the men were actually involved in Garden's case.
Garden is the oldest of four children. She was a freshman at Sanborn Regional High School in 1980. Her loved ones describe her as outspoken, fun-loving, friendly and occasionally rebellious. She had a good relationship with her siblings, but sometimes resented having to babysit them. She complained to friends about her parents' rules, and sometimes skipped school to smoke and drink alcohol with other teenagers in the woods near Maple Avenue. Because of her age at the time of her disappearance, Garden was originally thought to be a runaway. Although a voluntary disappearance is still considered a possibility, investigators are now investigating other theories as well, including the possibility of foul play. Garden's case is classified as a non-family abduction due to the lack of available evidence. While there is no evidence that the two cases are connected, it is worth noting that Laureen Rahn, another petite brunette about the same age as Garden, disappeared from a nearby town just a month after Garden did and was never found. Rahn's case remains unsolved as well and is also classified as a non-family abduction.
​

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Rockingham County Sheriff's Office
603-679-2225
OR
Newton Police Department
603-382-6774

Source Information
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
Nation's Missing Children Organization
The Eagle-Tribune
The Seacoast

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/garden_rachael.html

 

[Rle7]

Police in New Hampshire say a strong tip in the disappearance of a Newton girl 28 years ago has sparked new interest in the cold case.

Rachel Garden was last seen alive in March 1980.

Investigators have started searching ponds in Newton, N.H., not far from where Garden disappeared.

Peter Jewett is one of the last people who saw her the day she disappeared.

"It has haunted everybody," he said. Jewett owned the general store where Garden was last seen.

He said he can still see the 15-year-old girl in his mind.

"She was a little spit fire, five feet tall and full of energy," he recalled. "A great girl."

http://wbztv.com/local/newton.new.hampshire.2.718610.html

 

[Richard]

Missing for 30 years:

------------------------------------------

Rachael Elizabeth Garden

Missing since March 22, 1980 from Newton, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

Classification: Non-Family Abduction


Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: December 30, 1964
Age at Time of Disappearance: 15 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'1; 100 pounds

Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Light brown, shoulder-length hair; hazel eyes. Garden has pierced ears. Petite, slender build.

Dentals: Available. Rachael had orthodontic work, three fillings and her four "wisdom" teeth removed, prior to the orthodontic work.

Clothing: She was wearing jeans; a two-tone blue ski jacket; plaid shirt with silver threads; and brown lace-up shoes. She was carrying a tote bag with the word "Things" on its side.

Circumstances of Disappearance

Garden was last seen at a Rowes Corner Market on Route 108 in Newton, NH at approximately 21.00 on March 22, 1980. After she paid $5.00 for a pack of cigarettes she left the store heading north toward North Main Street. Garden was a regular customer at the store.

Garden was a ninth-grade student at Sanborn Regional High at the time of her disappearance. She was the oldest of four children. In her free time, Rachael often walked the quarter-mile down to Rowe's Corner Market, looking for some excitement. Sometimes she went to the hill across from Maple Avenue, a place where local teens often congregated.

Rachael's parents called the police station at about 10.00 the next morning to report their child missing. Rachael's mother said that she knew right away something was seriously wrong when Rachael did not return to the family's small cape on Main Street.

Rachael was considered a runaway by police in the first months after her disappearance. She was described as a headstrong and rebellious teenager, fun-seeking and outspoken.

With a population barely over 3,000 people, Newton at the time, had only one full-time police officer.

Over the years police investigators have checked numerous leads including possible sightings, talked with people who knew her, worked with psychics, used dogs and excavated sites looking for remains. Rachael left behind her horse, her dental retainer and other possessions. He parents have consulted psychics and hired private investigators to no avail.

Years later at least two witnesses reported seeing Rachael talking to three young men in a dark car in the vicinity of Rowe's Market and Maple Avenue. Rachael was known to have associated with the young men before.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning Garden's whereabouts, please contact:

Rockingham County Sheriff's Office
Missing Persons Unit
603-679-2225

All information may be submitted on an anonymous basis.

NCMEC #: NCMC665523

NCIC Number: M-054689973

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:

National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
Eagle Tribune
Sea Coast Online 11/16/07
The Doe Network: Case File 66DFNH

LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/66dfnh.html

 

[Lavanda Dolce]

Not sure if possible, but a brown shoe with human remains located in Merrimack River from a NH treatment plant. Rachael had brown lace up shoes.
I also posted the same for another missing NH woman , also wearing brown shoes.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/04/bones_found_in_1.html

 

[amber1]

I wish she got more coverage. I think she was in with the wrong crowd and when she went to "the cool kids hang out spot" something went very wrong.
She is also listed as a possible match for Princess Doe.
This article has some interesting theories. I will bold them.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS/711160415

The Mystery of Rachael Garden
Mystery of Rachael Garden not a cold file
Today's most viewed articles

By Ann Sanok
rockinghamnews@seacoastonline.com
November 16, 2007 2:00 AM

NEWTON — When the door swung open at Rowe's Corner Market store on March 22, 1980, owner Peter Jewett was pleased to see one of his favorite young customers, a slender teenage girl named Rachael Garden, step into the quiet store.

Unlike many of the sullen teenagers who patronized the store, 15-year-old Rachel was memorable for her outgoing personality and ready smile; the type of kid who always took the time to say "Hi."

Rachael handed Jewett a $5 bill for a pack of cigarettes and headed out the door. Twenty-seven years later, Jewett, who now owns a general store in East Kingston, still remembers his last glimpse of Rachael. "I turned and leaned against the counter like I always did to look at the road and I saw Rachael walking toward Maple Avenue," he said.

Sometime that Saturday night Rachael, a petite ninth-grader at Sanborn Regional High School, disappeared from the streets of Newton, and was never seen again.

For most Newton residents the next morning was just an ordinary Sunday in March. There was a lingering chill of winter in the air and the ground was damp from recent rains and winter's melting snows. Jimmy Carter was president and Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" was on top of the music charts.

With a population barely over 3,000 people, Newton had only one full-time police officer. It was the kind of town where bad things just didn't happen.

Rachael's parents called the police station at about 10 a.m. on Sunday to report their oldest child missing. Rachael's mother, who has since moved away and expresses reluctance to talk about the case, says only that she knew right away something was seriously wrong when Rachael did not return to the family's small cape on Main Street.

What the police did and who they talked to in those first 24 hours Rachael disappeared is known only to them. But by Monday morning, Rachael was still missing.

Vic Daley, a vice principal at the high school, remembers taking a call from Rachael's mother the Monday after she disappeared. "She only said that Rachael would be absent. I didn't know that something was wrong till maybe a few days later." Daley says he doesn't remember if the police ever came to the school. "I don't think so, but it's possible."

That Rachael was considered a runaway in those first few months seems evident from the lack of publicity her disappearance generated. There were no posters or fliers. No announcements were made at school. Friends were not questioned until months or even years later. At school, her desk sat empty and no one really asked why.

There were reasons to believe Rachael might have left home on her own accord. She was a teenager after all, a girl who adored her siblings but sometimes resented having to baby-sit for them so often. A girl who complained to friends about feeling stifled by her parents' rules. She was drawn to the more rebellious of her peers, the kind who skipped school or smoked and drank in the woods near Martin's Pond.

In her free time, Rachael often walked the quarter-mile down to Rowe's Corner Market, looking for some excitement. Sometimes she went to the hill across from Maple Avenue, a place where local teens often congregated.

One friend recalls that Rachael even talked of running away around the time she disappeared.

And then there were the alleged sightings in the months that followed her disappearance, sightings that spurred Rachael's mother to rush down to Haverhill, Mass. or over to Hampton Beach looking for clues.

But others say Rachael would not leave her family or town voluntarily. "She was too young and naïve to do something like that," said one friend.

The day she disappeared, Rachael was reportedly wearing a two-tone blue ski parka, jeans and a plaid shirt with silver threads. She had on brown lace-up shoes and carried a dark blue tote bag with the word "Things" imprinted on one side. Police believe Rachael left all of her belongings at home, including her dental retainer. She reportedly had a horse she loved and would never have left unattended.

While police questioned witnesses and followed leads, time passed. Summer came and went, but still there was no sign of Rachael.

As 1980 came to a close, it seemed that Rachael was already forgotten by many in town. Her classmates, now in their sophomore year, assumed she had dropped out or moved away.

Life in town went on as usual. At the close of 1980, the police of chief wrote a summary of his department's year in the town report. Two arrests for littering were noted. A police cruiser was stolen and there was a burglary at the Rolla Round Skating Rink. Over the course of the year, the police station received 11 reports of missing persons. Who went missing and whether they were ever found is not recorded. There is no mention of Rachael Garden.

Darker theories emerge

Soon, however, darker theories began to emerge about Rachael's disappearance.

At least two witnesses report seeing Rachael talking to three young men in a dark car in the vicinity of Rowe's Market and Maple Avenue. Rachael was known to have associated with the young men before, despite their troubled reputation.

"Those guys were bad news," say one witness, a longtime Newton resident who declined to be identified. When asked if he thinks they were involved in Rachael's disappearance, he doesn't hesitate. "Definitely," he says.

In the years ahead, all three would have run-ins with the law, and at least one eventually served time for assault and rape.

Then there was the story of an alleged confession by one of the men, spilled out at a smoky bar in Haverhill and sending police on a futile search for Rachael's grave beside a stone wall and stream off Route 108.

Were one or all of the young men seen with Rachael that night involved in her disappearance? Or were they just easy targets because of their rebellious, troubled ways? Did Rachael run away and start a new life? Did she met a tragic death in her own town by someone she knew or in some other place by a stranger's hand?

A thick file bearing Rachael's name sits in a drawer of the town's new police station, but for years the case has been technically under the purview of the state police in Concord.

State Police Detective Joel Estabrook states he can say little about the case because it remains open.

"Every once in awhile we get a call or some kind of lead," said Estabrook. Estabrook says he does not believe Rachael ran away, but declined to confirm reports that the state police had dug up certain areas throughout town in search of her body.

Drawing attention to Rachael's disappearance beyond the confines of Newton was no easy task in 1980. There was no Amber Alert in place. The nation's only federally recognized clearinghouse for information on child abduction cases would not exist for another four years.

"You have to remember that it was a very small police department back then," said one former Newton officer. "The police chief had died unexpectedly and there was an interim chief in place. There weren't the systems in place like there are now when kids disappear."

By many accounts, police did all they could to find Rachael in the months and years that followed. Volunteer firemen and the Boys Scouts scoured the woods near Maple and Highland avenues. A helicopter flew over Newton's woods, swamps and fields. Dogs were brought in to follow scents. Witnesses were questioned, and the family even consulted a psychic, who reportedly pointed police to an area off Maple Avenue.

Where Rachael was supposed to be the Saturday night she disappeared is unclear. Information posted on missing persons Web sites state Rachael had planned to stay overnight at friend's house just down the street from her own house on Main Street. Today, that friend says that was never the plan. "I didn't know she was coming over and I never saw her." The friend said that she baby-sat that Saturday and then went out to a movie.

The friend eventually moved away to Nantucket, Mass. and recalls that two detectives once went to the island to question her. "I really had no information," she said.

Rachael would have graduated from Sanborn in 1983. The yearbook for her class contains a page titled "Gone But Not Forgotten" which lists the photos and names of classmates who moved or dropped out before graduation.

One former classmate remembers a discussion about mentioning Rachael somewhere in the yearbook, but in the end, she was not included.

After graduating from high school, Rachael's friends and classmates went to work or to college. They married and had children. Some still have roots in Newton, but for others, those years represent another lifetime.

Although housing developments have sprouted up over the decades, Newton hasn't changed much since Rachael went missing the night of March 22, 1980.

Rowe's Market is still the place to buy a gallon milk or grab a quick sandwich. The Gale Library is still on Main Street. At the police station, a small economical building not far from where Rachael was last seen, pictures of fathers wanted for unpaid child support are tacked on the lobby bulletin board. There is no picture of Rachael.

Newton still conducts official business in the steepled Town Hall, where the town's history is preserved in the form of tax records, zoning maps, board minutes and town reports. It's a place where employees are often privy to the latest news as well as the stories and secrets of years gone by.

But now it is 2007, and no one there remembers the young girl who disappeared from Newton 27 years ago. The girl who lived just down the street. The one with large brown eyes named Rachael.

If you have any information about this case, contact the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit 603-679-2225. Anonymous tips are accepted.

 

[Richard]

Great article, amber. This month marks 32 years since Rachael went missing.

 

[amber1]

I know:/
And thank you, I loved this article because it made me realize how real she is, how she was just a regular fifteen year old probably with the wrong crowd.
So sad how forgotten she has been

 

[EyesOnSunday]

I have followed various cases on websleuths for quite some time, but this is my first time posting.

I am a resident of Newton, NH. I go in to Rowe's market nearly every day. There are various theories around town, especially from the residents that were around when it happened and live here to this day. It often occurs to me that in such a small town (we don't even have a stop light...) that I have probably interacted with the person/people who KNOW the truth.

I have occasionally seen small missing posters with her face on them that show me someone must be actively trying. I just wish there were more to go on!

I'm sure she will always be on my mind. I hope that the discussion about her never stops. There is always a chance of discovering what happened and she deserves our time trying.

 

[missingmyfriend]

Not a year goes by that I do not think about Rachael. I actually can remember those shoes they write about. I remember them, because her feet were so small. She was/is my friend.
Every year at this time, I think about her even more.
Newton to me was so much different. The police department would have to deal with toilet papering the junction during halloween, or eggings during that time, maybe someone knocked Mr. Cheney's granite stone fence down once again. I don't remember it being so out of hand that people had to be carted away in paddy wagons though.
Everyone knew everyone else. Even the police knew the kids by name. Good or bad.

We had the Roller Round as a form of recreation, we had places to play basketball, at the memorial school and at one time I know there use to be a tennis court in Newton. Not sure that is still around. We would sit on what we would call "the dingy's" the RR signals at the tracks, large cement pieces with the lights in the middle of them and watch the train go by. We could ride horses and mini bikes down the RR tracks and it wasn't a big deal. Again, nothing like today.

I am writing this, to try and give you a little bit of a background on what Newton was like. I don't know how long you have lived here, but I grew up here. I left for a few years, and I came back because Newton will always be my home.

Newton has changed a lot. We haven't stopped thinking about her for years. Next year is our 30th reunion and again she will not be with us, So no, we haven't forgotten.

 

[EyesOnSunday]

Not a year goes by that I do not think about Rachael. I actually can remember those shoes they write about. I remember them, because her feet were so small. She was/is my friend.
Every year at this time, I think about her even more.
Newton to me was so much different. The police department would have to deal with toilet papering the junction during halloween, or eggings during that time, maybe someone knocked Mr. Cheney's granite stone fence down once again. I don't remember it being so out of hand that people had to be carted away in paddy wagons though.
Everyone knew everyone else. Even the police knew the kids by name. Good or bad.

We had the Roller Round as a form of recreation, we had places to play basketball, at the memorial school and at one time I know there use to be a tennis court in Newton. Not sure that is still around. We would sit on what we would call "the dingy's" the RR signals at the tracks, large cement pieces with the lights in the middle of them and watch the train go by. We could ride horses and mini bikes down the RR tracks and it wasn't a big deal. Again, nothing like today.

I am writing this, to try and give you a little bit of a background on what Newton was like. I don't know how long you have lived here, but I grew up here. I left for a few years, and I came back because Newton will always be my home.

Newton has changed a lot. We haven't stopped thinking about her for years. Next year is our 30th reunion and again she will not be with us, So no, we haven't forgotten.

Thank you for your reply. I'm so sorry for your loss but it is nice to hear directly from someone that knew and loves her.

I have only lived in Newton for about six years but my boyfriend has lived here for 35, so he has given me good perspective on what it used to be. I have spent my entire life moving from one place to the next and Newton is one of the only places that has felt like home.

Do you have any theories on what may have happened that you would be willing to share? Does she still have any family in town?

 

[amber1]

Thank you guys so much for posting! It is nice to hear from someone who knew Rachel, it puts lots of light on her story and makes her more than a face on a missing poster.
Prayers to Rachel.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.wgal.com/news/new-tip-co...case/-/9360790/21544192/-/k6t4wq/-/index.html

1:06 PM EDT Aug 20, 2013
By Jennifer Crompton, News Reporter

NEWTON, N.H. —It has been more than 30 years since a 15-year-old from Newton disappeared, but police said they are continuing to receive tips in the case and are continuing their investigation.

 

[amber1]

So glad its still active. There has to be people in the community with information on this.

 

[Chuz Life]

Does anyone have a source for any other images of this MP?

I have a couple of possible matches that I have been working on and I would like to see if I can either rule Rachel out or maybe have enough to submit for further investigation.

I wonder if her High School may have any images.

 

[amber1]

Does anyone have a source for any other images of this MP?

I have a couple of possible matches that I have been working on and I would like to see if I can either rule Rachel out or maybe have enough to submit for further investigation.

I wonder if her High School may have any images.

I was unable to find any floating around on the web, but does anyone else on here who is local to the case have any suggestions? Contacting the high school is also a good suggestion.

 

[Chuz Life]

I was unable to find any floating around on the web, but does anyone else on here who is local to the case have any suggestions? Contacting the high school is also a good suggestion.

Thanks Amber.

I actually called Rachel's High School and asked if they might have any other pictures of her.

The lady was very understanding and helpful and she (along with the principle) directed me to the High School's Alumni page on FaceBook.

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sanborn-Regional-High-School-Alumni-Page/186340524926

I have company coming over right now - but later, I might try to come up with a poster or something to put on the "wall" of that page to see if we can get any of her old classmates to send us any more pictures and or information.

 

[Chuz Life]

Just as an update to my previous post, I was able to put something together on Rachel's high school (facebook) Alumni page and I private messaged with one of her early classmates.

I guess it was good timing on my part because their class reunion is coming up soon and she said that she will ask those in attendance for any help they might have with pictures and information.

She was a very nice lady and I tried to let her know how appreciative we will be for any (even the smallest) amount of help.

 

[amber1]

Just as an update to my previous post, I was able to put something together on Rachel's high school (facebook) Alumni page and I private messaged with one of her early classmates.

I guess it was good timing on my part because their class reunion is coming up soon and she said that she will ask those in attendance for any help they might have with pictures and information.

She was a very nice lady and I tried to let her know how appreciative we will be for any (even the smallest) amount of help.

That's awesome, maybe she can revive Rachel's story and get people thinking about what happened to her. Someone in that community knows!

 

[KateB]

Left: Rachael, circa 1980;
Right: Age-progression at age 48 (circa 2012)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/garden_rachael.html

Thirty-Five Years Later, Rachael Garden is still Missing
Posted: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:37 pm
http://www.carriagetownenews.com/ne...cle_89591a2e-c754-11e4-ac38-532dff6ba0ff.html

ALEXANDRIA, VA —As part of its ongoing search, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is again asking for the public’s help to locate Rachael Garden, who was 15 years old when she disappeared from Newton, NH on March 22, 1980.

 

[Pettibon Junction]

So Rachel, who was not a "sullen" teenager, is remembered as being outgoing, friendly, and well-adjusted, goes missing and is dismissed as a runaway while two uncaught serial killers (Gary Schaefer and the still unidentified CT River Valley Killer) who targeted women and adolescent girls were at large in New Hampshire at the time she disappeared?

Who was minding the mint at the NH State Police back then and why on earth would they allow this case to go cold rather than classifying Rachel as "endangered missing" unless proven otherwise?